Emma and I have a history of keeping things a long time. As long as something is functional we keep using it. There are exceptions, of course but generally we take care of things and they last. This has saved us a lot of money over the years and it is a good plan for us.
Sadly we have moved rapidly toward a disposable economy. Cheap products are designed to be replaced rather than fixed. We had a microwave go out on us recently. We had bought it 4 years before for $140. Fixing it, if you could find someone to work on it, would be aggravating and cost prohibitive. So I went and purchased another one. How long should it last? Its predecessor lasted about 8 years. Does that mean the new one will be gone in 2 years? One wonders.
Somewhere along the line price became the only consideration in making a purchase. Companies found cheap sources of labor outside the U.S. and it was game on! Things got cheaper and cheaper and that blender that had cost $40 is now $24. Of course the $24 is a piece of crap that may blow up if you really use it. So I dread when our 18 year old washer cashes in its chips because, in all likelihood the replacement will be inferior.
Is this trend irreversible? Do we want to reverse it? There hasn't been much of a backlash that I can see so maybe the world is happy with all things disposable. I can't remember the last time I saw a kid in cloth diapers. Relationships seem to be just as disposable, lacking more than a superficial commitment from either party. It used to be a lucky person that had 5 good friends but social media gives us hundreds at the click of a mouse. And when it seems to be the social norm to have an ambiguous description of your most significant personal relationship (used to be called a marriage) maybe our lives are becoming disposable as well.
Where our society goes depends on the example we set for our children and grandchildren. They watch us intently and learn from our behaviors much more than our words. They will be the ones to decide what a marriage is and whether we will continue to be a disposable society. I pray they are smarter than we were!
2 comments:
Cloth diapers have actually made a huge comeback, and I know several friends who use them. I just couldn't face the idea of more laundry!
Disposables were around when you were a baby but were so expensive! Your mother and I talked about this recently. I think the reason the cloth ones are better is that you tend to change them more frequently because it is easier to know they are wet. Same with old people. My first nursing home we used cloth diapers on those residents that couldn't buy disposables (we didn't pay for them). Skin problems were less frequent on those using cloth diapers.
Post a Comment